Page:Report of Senate Select Committee on the Invasion of Harper's Ferry.pdf/253

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TESTIMONY.
181

be needed at every step. If I could possibly do so, I would send you the required amount, but, in my opinion, it will not be possible to raise it. By visiting other places and interesting other parties, it might be done, but not here." It would appear from the letter that, after disposing of the application to aid his father, you proceed to his request for money for other purposes: "Next, with regard to the last proposition." What was that other proposition?

Answer. It was to interest other parties to raise the $200. He wrote to me for $200 for that purpose, and that alone.

Question. Did your correspondence, as shown in this letter, refer to raising money for no other purpose than that of aiding his father?

Answer. For no other purpose. It was the $200 he wished for that purpose. He stated to me particularly in his first letter the amount of money.

Question. Did you know a man named L. S. Leary?

Answer. I did.

Question. Was he a white man or a negro?

Answer. He was a negro.

Question. Where did he live?

Answer. He lived in Oberlin.

Question. Did Leary apply to you at any time in the fall of 1859 for money?

Answer. He did.

Question. What did he want with the money?

Answer. I understood that he wanted to engage in assisting slaves to escape.

Question. Did he say that?

Answer. No, sir; he did not.

Question. Did he tell you what plans he had?

Answer. No, sir; he did not tell me any particular plans he had in view. I can state fully if it is desired.

The Chairman. Anything that is pertinent and relevant to the scope of the question you can state.

The Witness. He called on me first, and borrowed a small amount of money, without informing me anything about what he wanted it for, except that he wanted to use it. He called again afterwards, and told me he would like to keep the amount I had given him, and would like a certain amount more for a certain purpose, and was very chary in his communications to me as to how he was to use it, except that he did inform me that he wished to use it in aiding slaves to escape. Circumstances just then transpired which had interested me contrary to any thought I ever had in my own mind before. I had had exhibited to me a daguerrotype of a young lady, a beautiful appearing girl, who I was informed was about eighteen years of age———

The Chairman. Is that in connection with your lending money to Leary?

Answer. In connection with it as to time, and it had an influence on my mind in giving him the money. He did not inform me that his object was in connection with that.

Question. Then, what connection has this daguerrotype of a beauti-